‘The Walking Dead’ Season 8 Star Norman Reedus Admits He Was Advised Not To Do AMC Series

It’s hard to imagine what The Walking Dead would be like without Daryl Dixon. However, Norman Reedus has just revealed that he almost didn’t audition for the AMC series because he was advised not to take part in the show. In addition to that, the Air star shared how he made sure Daryl would be the beloved character that he is today.

There is little doubt that Daryl Dixon is the true fan-favorite in The Walking Dead. Although the character started out as someone who might try to kill Rick Grimes, Daryl eventually proved to be a valuable member of the team. Interestingly, Daryl is a character that was created by producers because they were so impressed with Norman Reedus’ audition for Merle Dixon. However, Reedus almost passed on the opportunity of being in one of the most-watched shows on TV.

Norman Reedus was recently a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he spoke about The Walking Dead Season 8. The Boondock Saints actor revealed that friends and agents warned him about being part of the AMC series. However, Reedus decided to take on the role of Daryl Dixon because the character had a special redeeming quality.

“I saw a guy looking for his family, that was the real story, and it paid off.”

In The Walking Dead Season 1, Daryl Dixon debuted in the third episode “Tell It to the Frogs” where he confronted Rick Grimes for leaving Merle behind. Daryl insisted on bringing a team back to Atlanta to save his brother, who had actually sawed his hand off to escape. From there, Daryl’s storyline took on a life of its own, thanks to Norman Reedus.

In the same interview, Reedus revealed that Daryl Dixon was originally written as an addict as well as a racist. However, the actor “fought to change those” and portrayed Daryl as “an Al-Anon member” who has “grown up with it, felt ashamed of it and wasn’t comfortable with who he was.” Luckily, Reedus’ portrayal of the character gave him the depth that made him more than just another survivor in The Walking Dead.

Daryl Dixon is still one of the most important characters in TWD. Fans can catch Norman Reedus in The Walking Dead Season 8, which currently airs on AMC every Sunday nights.

[Featured Image by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images]